Legacies

                                     I  remember  it  was the summer of nineteen-eighty-nine when I  
                                    first walked into that bandroom.  There  were  so  many pictures  
                                    and trophies on the wall, some were as big as four feet tall along  
 with a nostalgia I’ve never felt before. Mrs. Davidson took a liking to me, a scared year fifteen-year old  
 kid yet she made everyone feel at home. As the years progressed,  I  understood  why  she stressed the  
 importance of developing our craft, they were tools of a great work ethic, team building and friendships  
 learning                    skills that were going to last. And Mrs. Davidson  kept building a                     program  
 of future                   leaders and champions who would be productive citizens of the                     world,
 and with                   each passing year I’d visit the kids and cheer them on as they too                   became                
 winners,                    believers in the same dream as we were in my time, their minds                    were set:  
 they too                     were  part  of  this family,  this legacy.  Mrs. Davidson was more                     than  a  
 teacher                       or director, to us she was also our band mom, a guiding mentor                   she had  
  instilled                      sets of skills that we would all use through the rest of our lives.                     Alongside  
  fond and                     cherished memories of friends and relationships we’ve all built                    over the  
     years                           we take pride in the excellence.  And the room kept filling                           up with                    
      even                             more trophies from parades and tournaments each year                          kids who
        once had                       marched had their kids march because it was really a                         family,            
           so many                           young faces were filled with hope and wonder                      whenever            
                us alumni                          would visit the school because room 102                        felt very          
                        special,                          like our home away from home. And                 Mrs. “D”    
                             would tell the tale of us - her first kids, building up the legends and myths    
                                           whenever they saw old pictures that hung from the wall,                    
                                                          then I understood how she built up dreams                            
                                                                                    when young                                                
                                                                                     kids find a                                                            
                                                                                     purpose to                                                            
                                                                                     believe  in                                                              
                                                                                     and choose                                                          
                                                                                     to  work as                                                          
                                                                                     a  team  to                                                            
                                                                   achieve their common goals.                                              
                                                       After twenty-eight years at my alma mater                                  
                                    and twenty-five consecutive championships Mrs. D went on to make      
                     more champions at another school. She’s highly revered at all city and in the community
                   so Mrs. D, this trophy is for you. By the way, it’s old Drum Major Wally, from the class of ’92.